Twilit Downfall
by JustAlongForTheRide
Summary: One year on from when he saved Hyrule from total evil, Link is called on again to save an old companion... (Follow-up to Twilight Princess)
1. Winds of Time

**I do not own The Legend of Zelda franchise, Legend of Zelda characters or Legend of Zelda items! This story is meant to entertain and all that jazz... **

**Besides all of of that necessary drivel, enjoy my writing!**

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The trees of Ordon swayed in the gentle breeze, a Hylian symbol of Spring. Seventeen-year-old Link reclined in a comfortable hammock, self made from Ordonian Wood and net plucked from an abandoned fishing kit lying on the banks of Lake Hylia. The hammock was a strung between two trees, that just so happened to be at the correct height to hang across the high-up, rocky ledge outside Link's house. Link was good at building things, and his tree-house was stuffed with items from small trinkets, to dining tables. Link himself was slung across his newest creation, left leg hanging out of the string mesh, and was swaying lazily in the wind - fast asleep. Link was a notoriously rough sleeper, but after the retreat of Shadow, -when _she_ left last year- Link found himself able to slumber peacefully. The Spring zephyr made the air extremely pleasant, but, once again, Link's dreams were not.  
He was suddenly in Gerudo Desrt, atop the Arbiter's Grounds, the stifling heat sticking his green tunic to his body. _The green tunic!_ Another relic of the departure of his companion, friend, partner in crime. Ever since, he had worn his Ordonian tribal attire. Black marble, standing in a slab in the sand reflected the harsh sunlight into the deep blue eyes of the Hero. Squinting, Link ascended the small amount of steps up to the Mirror platform. The familiarity of this place made his heart ache, and yearn for the presence of his friend again. Then, a sight that Link never thought he'd see again made him inhale loudly - the Mirror of Twilight. Intact.  
All of a sudden, when Link stepped on the etched design on the floor, the Mirror shone to life, projecting its light onto the marble, in its slowly reaching tendrils. Just before it had touched the marble on the far side of the chamber, something changed for the worse. The ground shook violently, and the light turned blood red. The usually peaceful, serenely beautiful pattern on the marble was but a swirling mass of red and black, like a tornado. The sky was cold, empty and dark, as it would be from the top of Snowpeak.  
"Link..."  
Link thought he had imagined it at first; her voice. But then again, it called.  
"Link!" There was not a shadow of doubt in Link's mind as to the identity of the voice's source.  
"Midna?" Link cried back into the rotating colours in the mirror.  
"Link... Help us... find the... other... mirror. Come back... to me..."  
"MIDNA! Don't leave me again!" The Ordonian had so much to say to his old companion, but was cut short by a sudden appearence - a Shadow Beast, dropping from the portal in the sky.  
Link tried to draw his sword, but watched in horror as it disintegrated into dust. The creature landed its deadly blow powerfully, immediately. Link expected the last things he was to see would be was the clear desert sky, his final feeling the sand, scorched by the intense sun. Instantly, the forest sky was above Link's head, the cool wind ruffling his layered blond hair. He knew from previous experience that this was not just a bad dream - it was a premonition. Just in time to clear his fuzzy head, Link caught wind of a sound.  
"Link! Are you awake?" Yelled a young voice from the clearing at the foot of Link's tree-house.  
It was Colin, Link's young friend to whom he was teaching horseback riding and basic swordplay.  
"Yeah..." the Hero replied "I'm afraid the riding lesson is off today, I've just found that I need to do something really important."  
Which was absolutely true and, furthermore, Link knew his first port of call - Hyrule Castle.  
Despite his look of disappointment, Colin managed a smile.  
"That's fine, Link! After finding out about some of the things you've done..."  
Link grinned at his apprentice's new-found steeliness and resiliency. Before Link had started training him, he probably would have sulked for days at the delay in his sessions. But after his realisation on the meaning of his father's words, Colin had toughened up considerably. Link had been reduced to a fit of giggles when Talo had challenged Colin to a sword-fight, and Colin had ended up chasing him into the ranch with a practise sword after Talo had breached the rules. And while on the subject of Colin and his family...  
"Colin!" Link yelled to the foot of his tree, "Is your father still in Castle Town?"  
Colin's father, Rusl, was Link's mentor, but due to Rusl's new royal appointment, Link had taken it upon himself to teach Colin what he knew.  
The boy frowned in thought for a second before responding.  
"He's in Zora's Domain at the minute, on a peace keeping task between Prince Ralis and Princess Zelda."  
Link's heart fluttered a little at the royal woman's name. The princess, _his_ princess, the beautiful fair maiden at the helm of the great Kingdom of Hyrule. He had almost sacraficed his life to save Zelda's and would happily have done so. Not just for the Kingdom, the justice and the honour, but because of one thing.

_Link loved her._

"However," Colin continued, matter-of-factly "He is due a day off tomorrow. He'll probably be at Telma's"  
Link smiled at the convenience, and finally mustered the energy to remove himself from the hammock. Maybe he'd swing by the bar to tell Rusl about his dream.  
"Well," Link sighed "I'd better get Epona saddled up."

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**N.B - I decided to save time and resources by not putting in very detailed descriptions - face it, if you're reading Twilight Princess fan fics, you've clearly played it. All reviews are appreciated!**


	2. Accusations

**I repeat my disclaimer from chapter one - Winds of Time. And I plan to put in a bit of fluff and gooey bits involving Link and one of his female friends - your guess to which one!**

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Link stood astride his beautiful Hylian Thoroughbred, Epona, in the Ranch just north of Ordon. None of the ranch staff were there due to a public holiday (Goron Appreciation Day) but Link had a key to the stables.  
Epona whinnied when the first crack of light broke through the stable door, and Link greeted her like an old friend. Which, of course, she was.  
"Morning, girl," Link said "We've got something big to do today, you'd better get ready!"  
Epona snorted in a strange sort of understanding, so Link threw the saddle over her back, attached a bridle and positioned his sleeping mat and vital supplies on her back. He hauled himself onto his horse, and took her for a few laps of the field, to determine whether she was fit enough for the long journey ahead. Epona responded well, still had her astounding speed, and managed to jump the few hurdles Link had hurriedly set up.  
"Right," Link told his horse "We need to go and see the Mayor to let him know what we're up to."They set off at a canter, but Link had to spur her to help jump the gate towards the village. The route took them down a worn dirt track, and the first sight of the village was conveniently the Bo the Mayor's house.

It was custom in most of Hyrule to enter houses without knocking, but just to be certain, Link rapped on the oak door. Then entered anyway. The front room was empty, but Link could hear voices from the 'secret' room on his immediate left - Bo's sumo wrestling ring. Cautiously, Link made his way down the short hallway, and saw he'd interrupted a heated conversation between Bo and his beautiful daughter Ilia.  
"-what he wants to do, he's almost a man!" Ilia shouted at her father, whose angry red complexion and bizarre horn design on his face made him appear scarily like a bull.  
"Yes, but he is part of the Ordon society and needs to fulfill certain duties to keep it that way!" Bo growled in reply  
"Link has done astounding things for the Kingdom of Hyrule! He has slain monsters ten times more dangerous than you! Or even Rusl for that matter!" the girl yelled, sounding almost strained.

"This village is not part of Hyrule! It is a state in its own right, so what Link has done for Hyrule does not affect us in the slightest! Even-"  
Link had heard enough. He cleared his throat loudly and proclaimed:  
"I did knock."  
Bo stopped in mid-rage and slowly turned to stare at the new arrival. Ilia, on the other hand, whipped around and shrieked "Link!" before running over and oulling link into a tight hug. But while in his embrace, Ilia hissed venomously in Link's ear:  
"How much of this did you hear?"  
"More than enough," replied the Hero, although he was mostly concentrating on Ilia's scent, the scent he'd learned so well as a wolf. She smelled _incredible_.  
"My father is a fool, he doesn't understand the things you've done," she said, raising her voice slightly so the Mayor could hear it.  
Link took a few moments to word his speech so he wouldn't offend Bo.  
'Mister Mayor, I've done many things in aid of Hyrule, but I'm still Ordonian at heart. I still herd the goats, I still tend our spring, I still craft our wood. But once again, I'm here to ask for leave to Hyrule. A very good friend is in very grave danger."  
It took Bo a few seconds to process these words, but he eventually looked at Link with an almost grudging acceptance.  
"I sure as hell don't know what you get up to in that vast... field thing, I don't think you're doing enough for the village or the Province. But, by the Goddesses, I'm not going to stop you saving a friend."  
At this, Ilia, who had finally released Link, broke into a wide, beaming grin. After seeing that smile, Link's mind was locked in conflict.  
_Ilia or Zelda, Ilia or Zelda, Ilia or Zelda..._  
Then the Hero realised he was staring into the stunning eyes of the mayor's daughter.  
"Link? Are you okay?" enquired Ilia.  
He instantly snapped out of another trance-like focus.  
"Yeah... fine." He muttered, suddenly lost for words.  
"Well, on your way boy," murmured Bo dismissively.  
The youth was more than happy to escape the tense atmosphere, but as soon as he strode out of the front door, the reality of his task dawned on him once again.  
"C'mon, horse, let's go," Link said, still deep in thought.  
And for the second time that day, (It was past noon by now) Link mounted Epona. Galloping, the boy and his horse set off towards Faron Woods. Past the waterwheel, past Sara's Sundries, and up the track, Link and Epona were one, working in partnership, each wholly trusting the other. Back past Link's own house, and onwards into the Woods.  
Hang on, Link thought, pulling back on the reigns, stopping the horse dead, making her rear back to face the village.

Once again climbing down from Epona's back, Link drew the Ordon Sword and Hylian Shield from his and made towards the scarecrow beyond his house. He was about to unleash his blade on the figure before thinking - _What about my items_? He glanced at his targets -another home-made contraption- and realised he needed his other weapons. So yet again Link found himself in his house, raking around for long lost artifacts. By time he'd finished, he had his Giant Quiver, stuffed full of arrows and his Hero's Bow, his Double Clawshots, Gust Boomerang and Bomb Bag stuffed into his travel pouch. Eventually, he got around to smashing up the pumpkin-headed scarecrow, and he shattered all of the targets using a mix of rapid fire arrows, rolls, Boomerang throws, Clawshotting into the trees to kick them as well as his speciality - bomb arrows. By time he was thinking straight, the patch of grass that counted as his garden was a mass of broken wood, bomb fragments, arrows and pumpkin. After plucking the arrows out from the targets and sliding them into his quiver, he jumped back onto Epona, and rode full speed into the distance.

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**All reviews appreciated!**


	3. Purple

**Blah blah, necessary drivel from chapter 1 etc.**..

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The ever-foreboding Faron Woods loomed through the fine mist gathering in the steep valley, as Link and Epona powered on. Epona's hooves clattered on the bridge crossing the chasm, and with the added factor of the smog, Faron Province had never seen less inviting. As they broke the fog bank, neither Hylian nor Hylian Thoroughbred could see more than a few yards in front of them. Luckily, both of the pair knew this wood like the backs of their hands (or hooves), so they carried on by instinct, knowing roughly where a certain gate or entrance was, and fine-pointed it when they were in sight-line.  
But as Rusl had always said on the use of the phrase "known like the back of one's hand", _h__ow well do you know the back of your hand? _

"No matter how much you study the lines and creases," he used to say, "You can never remember everything. Bettering that, there always seems to be new, stranger things appearing."  
And Rusl's counter argument couldn't have been more relevant. For as Link reached Faron Spring, recalling this speech, he noticed the haze turning vaguely... different. Purple, in fact. By the time his mind processed this, he knew it was too late._ Stop_, called a voice somewhere in the back of his brain,_ remember what happens in the fog... remember... what happens... fog..._  
Somewhere, his pain receptors were telling him he'd fallen from Epona and hit his head on the rocky path below as well as the fact his Ordon attire's sash did little to protect his torso. And somewhere in his visual nerve, he could see Epona, carrying on without her master, only his gear and supplies.  
_Fog... stop... don't..._  
Blackness.

Link awoke sometime later, staring at the evening sky. A black border seemed to hang around the edges of his vision. He still felt his pouch and weapons on his person, but he felt warmer. As his mind cleared, he realised the situation felt... somewhat familiar. The hero performed a limb check, purely because he couldn't feel a thing in any digits. Two arms coated in green with and undershirt, and two legs with trousers and sturdy leather boots. All systems operational.  
GREEN?!  
Link was on his feet before he knew it, sword and shield drawn, edgily glancing around - someone had had his tunic, all this time. He thought he'd disposed of it, as a result of all the painful memories attached to it.  
When a voice chimed behind Link, he jumped nearly a foot in the air and whipped round immediately.  
"Who's there?!" he bellowed.  
He noticed he was before the small shop run by a tiny speaking bird named...  
"Hey, the generous young man is awake," chirped Trill, his yellow plumage standing out from the dull rocks behind him.  
"Hey there, Trill," Link grinned groggily, the adrenaline slowly seeping away, "Long time, no see."  
Link was upheld as some kind of hero by Trill, after donating two-hundred of his hard -arned rupees instead of the advertised twenty.  
"Nice of you to drop by, human! Buy something?" enquired the bird.  
Link was suddenly aware of a pounding headache and slight sense of nausea, and knew Trill had the remedy.  
"Yeah, I'll take a bottle of red potion, my friend!" Link said, triying to sound cheery, but only managing a groan.  
"Just dunk your bottle and drop the money in the box, as per usual! Feeling a bit off-colour, Ordonian?"  
"A bit," Link mumbled, resisting the urge to retch. Boy, did that purple mist take it out of you...  
After downing the liquid, Link dropped in a single purple rupee. Instantly, he began to feel revitalised.  
"Only fifty rupees? Cheapskate!" squawked Trill, in some sort of laugh.  
Now that his head had cleared drastically, Link had his faculties under control.  
"I've not done much adventuring lately, so no temples, mines and caverns to ransack for rupees, I'm afraid! So, bird-boy, how exactly did I get here? And who put this tunic on me?"  
"Ah, those four monkeys from the temple made a stetcher of sorts and left you here. But the green get-up just - solidified onto you..."  
"Solidified?" asked Link incredulously.  
"Yes, there was a load of black square things, then they gathered round you and turned into - that." Twill explained, sounding quite afraid.  
Link was trying to comprehend the bird's statement - it sounded exactly like when Midna's portals opened...  
"Oh and one more thing," Twill continued, "The monkeys said that you're needed in the Grove in the Deep Woods."  
Link silently groaned to himself - he hated getting to the Sacred Grove, but he had a duty to Hyrule to protect and serve, so knew he had to see what the Forest dwellers were up to.

"Okay," he said to Trill, "I'd better check this out."  
"Sure," replied the shopkeeper "Thanks for being so generous again, hero!"  
As he was renowned as a saviour across Hyrule, Link had developed a strong sense of modesty.  
"I'm not a hero," he told the bird, "Just an average Ordonian that weird things have happened to."  
"Whatever you say, Average Ordonian!" Tweeted Twill.  
The pair bid their farewells, so Link traversed just a few hundred yards further up the path to the platform he could see the entrance of the Grove from.

"Right," he said, steeling himself, "Don't look down, kiddo!"  
Link pulled the twin Clawshots from his pouch and aimed the left one at the tree. After perfecting his aim, the green-clad youth pulled the minute trigger, activating the spring-loaded claw. Metal impacted wood and the claw grabbed an overhanging branch. Almost immediately, the winch insite the glove activated, reeling Link towards the bough. After shooting to two more branches, he could see the mouth of the gap in the rock wall. This was the hardest part of crossing the ravine, so Link aimed at the vines just to the right of the opening. Once hanging on to the vines, Link hurled himself to the ledge. For one fleeting moment, Link thought he'd misjudged the leap, but his elbows kept him up on the rocky outcrop. After recovering from his mini heart palpitations he pulled himself up and steeled himself once again.

_Time to show 'em what you're made of. Whoever "'em" is, _Link thought to himself.

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**All reviews appreciated!**


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